Four Ravens Players Who Will Be Decisive in Their 2023 Season
Out in the AFC North division of the conference, the Baltimore Ravens can claim to have had a relatively successful 2022 season. The team finished second in the division (the Cincinnati Bengals topped the division), with a record of 10 wins and seven losses. Out on the road the team were almost as successful as they were at home, having won six games in each and lost only one in their home stadium and three out on the road.
On Thursday, September 7th, in Kansas City, the NFL regular season kicks off, and the Ravens will be as hungry as all the other teams to begin forging a path to the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, sports betting fans will be checking the NFL odds to see who the sportsbooks think could lift the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season. If the Ravens are to be the ones who lift the biggest prize in the NFL, some players will prove especially decisive in the team’s fortunes.
Lamar Jackson
Although there was some frustration during the contract negotiations, quarterback Lamar Jackson has extended his contract with the Ravens for five more years. In the 2022season, Jackson played 12 games and attempted 326 passes and completed 203. He accumulated 2242 passing yardsand threw 17 touchdown passes and seven interceptions.
Jackson had a solid season, although he wasn’t able to complete it due to a knee injury, and threw well under pressure. Analysts are expecting Jackson to be in dominant form in December. They do observe that he’ll have it tough because the Ravens will have to play three straight games against 2022 playoff teams that month; namely, at Jacksonville, at San Francisco and at Miami.
Marlon Humphrey
Marlon Humphrey is a cornerback and will be a key player in the Ravens’ fight for Super Bowl glory. It already appears he has addressed his conflict with former Cleveland Browns man Odell Beckham Jr, who has signed for the club on free agency. In 2019, the pair ended up in a scuffle, with Beckham Jr. throwing the first punch and Humphrey trying to retaliate, but when the Browns man signed, Humphrey extended an olive branchin the interest of their shared goal.
Although the Ravens’ secondary is improving, the cornerback knows he and the other defensive backs still have some work to do.Humphrey played 17 games for the Ravens in the 2022 season. He defended seven passes to incompletion, intercepted three and executed 71 tackles. Seventeen tackles were assisted.
Experts have been relatively quiet so far about what the season might hold for Humphreys. One player who has been more vocal, however, has been Micah Parsons, of the Dallas Cowboys. In a Twitter spat with Humphreys, it seems the Dallas linebacker was predicting a dire end for the Ravens.
J.K Dobbins
The Texan J.K. Dobbins is anything but shy of work and runs tirelessly up and down the grid for his team, rarely deviating from his path. This running back will also punish any would-be tacklers and serves well as a receiver.
Unfortunately for the Ravens, Dobbins was only able to play nine games because he had some scar tissue removed from the knee injury that had kept him out the previous season. Even then, his team still put together a considerable average of rushing yards per game. Those nine games were also time enough for Dobbins to chalk up 520 yards on 92 carries and with two touchdowns.
Dobbins is expected to be back to full fitness for the 2023 season. With their running back returning to the team, the Ravens are going to deliver some ferocious attacking play.
Gus Edwards
Gus Edwards is another influential player who was out of action for a lot of last seasons. He only played nine games for the team but was still able to post 433 yards on 87 carries with three touchdowns.
Edwards is a bull of a player on the inside. Whereas some backs prefer to dodge contact with slick tackles, Edwards is more likely to seek it, and he’s an early down runner that dishes out the punishment. His strength and stamina see him push the team forward on long drives that wear down the defense. He breaks down tackles and runs downfield to steal extra yards for the team, and is more of a straight line runner that stays on the path, rather than weaving in and out of players. When he returns to the team for the 2023 seasons, offensives will have a tough time.
The Ravens will begin their regular season by facing the Houston Texans. They’ll be hoping the players above can deliver for them and truly drive them towards the Super Bowl and a chance of lifting the sport’s most coveted trophy.
